Bus Designs Printed from: School Bus Fleet Magazine Forums Topic: Topic author: Lifestar Fe
Subject: Bus Designs I love to design buses in my spare time. Someday I would like to start a bus manufacturing company. Here are my designs. They are a little distoted, but tell me what you think.
Replies:
Reply author: ATRE 1507 They're cool. I like to spec them.
Reply author: schoolbus64 Awsome pictures!!!
Reply author: Kodie Very nice, I like how the back window setup is its cool. Nice job.
Reply author: Girardin_71 well i design buses myself and they will be a apart of the update to my site.
Reply author: Jake I'll need to show my latest off someday. Really nice, Lifestar.
Reply author: Steven A.Rosenow I did a 3D design of what I think the Gillig Transit Coach school bus should look like now (had they stayed in the school bus industry) years ago. Other than that, I haven't done any "designing" other than drawing up the blueprints for the restoration of my own bus.
Reply author: Rich Here is one of my FEs from two years ago.
Reply author: Kodie Oh wow, Rich that is amazing. Do you have more?
Reply author: Kodie Here is a look at my newest design, completed ten minutes ago, it is a 2010 RE, I will leave the company up to you. I am stayig with my wrap around windshield concepts.
Reply author: Steven A.Rosenow I remember that one
Reply author: Jake Very nice, Steven. I wish I had enough patience to make something like that.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Wow, all of yours are way better than mine. I like those HDX mirrors on the Gillig, the look better thann they do on the HDX! I am learning to use a 3D modeling program, but I dont think I would have time to do something that good. That FE design looks great too, I like it better than my FE. Good RE to, I didnt see that before. I like that big windshield!
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Here is a RE that I just finished. It is based on the Wayne RD9000. The tires are undersized, and its blurry, but here it is
Reply author: Kodie My updated design.
Reply author: Steven A.Rosenow I can't read the text annotations on yer drawings
Reply author: Kodie I know I will post something tomorrow
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Great RE. I love those new options
Reply author: Jared You can find some of my designs at my website. CLick the signature.
Reply author: disp29 WOW... Amazing! You guys all did a VERY, VERY wonderful job on all of those models... breath-taking, all of them!
Reply author: jjf221fe Here's a Front Engine design I made in my spare time:
Reply author: SchoolBusFan I love this one Steve!! Especially the "UNLAWFUL TO PASS WHEN RED LIGHTS FLASH" sign. quote:
Reply author: Nate I drew my own bus design....though, I gotta find it and scan it. I call it the 2009 Blue Bird Vision. It's based on the visions, but the headlights and turn signals are seperated. The signals are above the headlights now. It's kind of hard to explain, so I've gotta find it and scan it.
Reply author: Nate
quote: Hey, Jared, your site is slightly screwed up. If you try clicking the Chevy Kodiak, it goes to "Web design". Just a heads-up
Reply author: Kodie Jared after looking back at your 09' Blue Bird Vision I really do like, maybe not for a Vision but the other features are very nice. Good job on that. Keep up the great work. Have you ever tried making a transit style bus?
Reply author: jjf221fe I decided to make an updated pic of my design a few posts up. Still has a few kinks, but it shows a little more details.
Reply author: WhistlingGasser23
quote: That thing ought to have one heck of a tailswing! O_O
Reply author: jjf221fe ^^ Well yeah, I would imagine that an 84 pax. front-engine design with elongated windows and very generous legroom (some of my specs) would have quite a tailswing that accompanies it. ^^
Reply author: WhistlingGasser23 I feel sorry for the unlucky victim in the other lane passing by when the rear end swings out.
Reply author: Thomas Ford 85-16
quote: Steve, I just know that those lights are from the stockroom of 3M's programmed visibility manufacturing line.
Reply author: YellowBox
quote: AWESOME !!!!! (Do I spell it right ?) Nice concepts man. I really like the future look on those Blue Birds. Can you do a future 2010 WAYNE concept ??? It will be great to see how a future WAYNE will look.
Reply author: BlueBirdMan dang it you guys got me itchin' to draw up a bus!
Reply author: jjf221fe Here's a quick new design I've made... I wish Blue Bird would take this up someday, I think it would be a pretty good success. It's based off of Kenworth's T-300 Class 6 commercial truck series.
Reply author: Kodie quick design, ha. That is amazing looking, you would have to sit pretty high up the way those Kenworths are designed. Great job on that.
Reply author: jjf221fe Thank you... Well, from what I see in comparison to the vision, I would be led to believe that the driver's seat would have to be too much higher if any higher at all. Also one of the local firetruck pumpers is a Kenworth (based off of the T-300 front-end design) and I had the lucky oppurtunity to go and check it out every tuesday when it goes down to the pump house right in the back of my house (in front of Mettawee river). It's actually not as high up as one would assume. The forward visibility in those things is astounding, one reason I believe it'll work well as a school bus design. Also, it's pretty asthetically pleasing too.
Reply author: Kodie What sort of program did you use to create that?
Reply author: jjf221fe Just paint lol
Reply author: Lifestar Fe You created that on paint? Wow, thats good. I have long wondered why more chassis arent offered for schoolbuses, when so many would work.
Reply author: Jake
quote: I make stuff like that in paint all the time; I love it! Paint is great if you have the patience to use it! -Jake
Reply author: 03CV200 Although a Kenworth and/or Peterbilt bus would look great, I highly doubt they would ever get into the school bus market, mainly becasue they both have a rep of being "premium" trucks and wouldn't "belittle" themselves by making a school bus chassis. Then again, I could be wrong, like who'd a thought International would stop selling chassis to Blue Bird, and who'd a though GM would stop making big bus chassis.
Reply author: jjf221fe 03CV200, I was actually discussing this very thing with another member on here through AIM... I do believe Kenworth was in the school bus market once before with their Pacific School Coach (am I wrong or correct about this?) and I was curious as to how long it survived in the market and how much of a success it was at the time of it being in the school bus market; Might any of you know? Though the chances of Kenworth or Peterbilt or any other premium CMV makes out there are very, very slim, it's always nice to dream!
Reply author: SBF3850LR Have you ever seen a crown bus? 85 pass and 91 pass...I might be a bit old:)
Reply author: Lifestar Fe I also doubt that another chassis manufacturer for school buses will be available. My dad works for a company that builds drill rigs on Peterbilt chassis, and it is like 95,000 just for the chassis. I like to dream though. If i only knew how to use photoshop... As for your question SBF3850LR, yes, i have. My school has a cuouple, but what does that have to do with thistopic?
Reply author: jjf221fe I have completed the frontal interior of the type D bus I posted a while back:
Reply author: Kodie
quote: HOLY S@*# thats sooo cool, I have tried to do that so many times and its really hard to do. The only problem I see is the kids tripping on the motor compartment.
Reply author: jjf221fe Yeah, I foresaw that too. I was going to either move the right row of seats further back, move the doghouse more towards the driver's compartment, or shorten the length of the engine mount. I decided not to do anything to it, it seems sufficient enough for now anyways. The doghouse was the easy part. Believe it or not, the stairwell was a real pain in the arse... The driver compartment was easier!
Reply author: Kodie heres my latest, its based off of the Blue Bird Vision, but its like what IC offers as its BE. Tell me what you think, nothing great.
Reply author: ThomasC2 It's better than what i can draw. But I think it would be a good BE type bus for Blue Bird.
Reply author: Steven A.Rosenow
quote: Yes, you are correct about Kenworth being involved in the school bus industry. In fact, they were involved in the industry for close to 25 years, and were a very strong seller along the west coast, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Notwithstanding the fact that Kenworth's primary business is - and always has been - the manufacturing and sales of large heavy duty trucks, the Pacific School Coach was a very strong seller, and several districts in the Seattle/Puget Sound area of Washington State were at one time exclusive to them (primarily due to the fact that the Pacific School Coach was built at their East Marginal Way facility just outside downtown Seattle at the time). In fact, the Shelton School District, according to a photo in a 1954 yearbook, ran an all-PSC fleet (which was a mix of White and Ford conventional chassis with KW PSC bodies, and the T-126/216 transit style). Their market share started to decline in the mid 1940s due to Gillig and Crown becoming strong players in Washington State, and by 1955, Kenworth (and their parent company, the Pacific Car and Foundry Company - known now as PACCAR) arranged a deal for Gillig to take over the manufacturing of them by 1955. Two years later, Gillig had exclusivity due to a deal made by Kenworth, Pacific Car and Foundry, and Gillig, which involved the sale of all tooling and rights to the Pacific School Coach to Gillig. (It's interesting to note that almost immediately, Gillig incorporated some aspects of the KW PSC design into their own Transit Coach line, such as the radiator intake scoop at the left rear corner of the roof, and the front roofcap) I myself own a Pacific School Coach. It's a 73-passenger 1955 T-216 transit style model that served the Wahkiakum School District for almost 50 years, and is considered to be the last running and intact one left. Here's two departing photos, one of which is a photo of a Kenworth school bus sourced from a 1946 Rand McNally USA road atlas (which was sponsored by Kenworth Truck Company, and features other Kenworth bus photos as well), and the other is a photo of my bus.
Reply author: jjf221fe Thank you, Steven! These photos and your information is fantastic! Seeing as how you own the T-216 model and it's a rear-engine design, I would imagine the T-126 is the front-engine design. It's hard to comprehend that your bus is a 1955 model, it looks like it's in better shape than most of our 1998 Thomas Saf-T-Liner EFs! I'm sure you've done extensive work on this bus to make it look this nice, but there's no denying the fact that just about anything with the Kenworth name (or Peterbilt, seeing as how they are both under the parent company PACCAR) will be built like a tank.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Here is an udated version of my 2008 Wayne RD9000 design. It has:
Reply author: Jake Lookin good! I like the design. Just remember; Paint needs patience.
Reply author: Steven A.Rosenow
quote: No, there were absolutely NO diesel engine options available in the Pacific School Coach, and after 1946, there were no front-engine transit style units built (they'd switched to the unique 4-pane windshield design seen in my bus that year, which didn't accomodate a front-engine design). The above photo of the front-engine model is actually of a much older bus dating back to the very late 30s and possibly early 40s (before production began on the T126/216), but used in a Kenworth-sponsored Rand McNally road atlas from 1946. The T126 was a rear engine model like mine (and for all intents and purposes, identical), and I've got some sneaky suspicious thought that someone at Kenworth might've typo'ed the model number in the builder's plate... The reason? Right up until the time I bought mine, I'd never even heard of a T216! But alas, no, both were rear engine models and back then, Kenworth wasn't putting any diesels in their buses. (although they were the first to switch from gas to diesel in 1933 for their semi trucks! ]). The standard engine option available for the Pacific School Coach (T126 or T216)were either Hall-Scott 590 six-cylinder engines or the International Red Diamond 450 six cylinder engines, both mounted vertically inline at the rear of the bus (save for conventional models, which included Ford gas engine options as well), with the International RD450 engine being the most popular engine option. However, some were later retrofitted with diesels. Centralia/Chehalis Public School District had 5 1955 Pacific School Coach buses identical to mine and each was retrofitted with Detroit 6V53 diesel engines in the mid 1970s, and later retrofitted with automatics, and Shelton School District ran one retrofitted Pacific School Coach until the mid 1980s. BTW, stay tuned. I've got some new photos of my bus coming taken last weekend. I took it out for a drive, and to a truck show.
Reply author: Kodie I was bored so I decided to work on a bus. The wheels are a bit off.
Reply author: GMCBlueBird83
quote: Hey, its a GMC Ward
Reply author: SchoolBusFan Quick design? Yeah right. It looks very good!! quote:
Reply author: SchoolBusFan You do these very good!! quote:
Reply author: jjf221fe
quote: Seriously, it didn't take that long... I took a T-300 off of the official KW website and made modifications to it, and just slapped on the windshield straight from the pic off of the website (it looked cooler that way).I'm thinking about brewing up some new designs on trusty good-'ol paint. Gotta keep up with the competition
Reply author: Kodie heres some add ons to my Vision inspired design.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Great designs Kodie! Cant wait to se it finished.
Reply author: Kodie Not a school bus but a school bus inspired design of a tractor. It has both a dump and a mower which for me at least is so much more conveniant than a trailer.
Reply author: jjf221fe
quote: I've made designs such as this. Here's one I did of a general "heavy-duty utility vehicle" : I've done others, I'll try and see if I can find them...
Reply author: Kodie Heres the ad on to my RE design.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Thats really good! I am working on an FE design, I will post it here when it is done.
Reply author: Jake Check out my designs, New, made in paint:
Reply author: Kodie Not my design but some modifications to the roof cap and grille.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Great S1800 Jake! Looks very realistic.
Reply author: Jake
quote: Thanks, it took me nearly 4 months to get it that good. Lots of practice, and all. It helps if you know your paint skills. Its not so blurry on the computer, something about photobucket does that. -Jake
Reply author: Kodie In the works still. As you can see I switched the radiator to the other side. The driver area is different also.. you will see that later.
Reply author: Jake
quote: ay ay ay, What are you talking about? Your being too vague.
Reply author: Jake
quote: You mean ones I physically drew instead of computer generated, yea, They'll be back soon.
Reply author: Kodie I modified the driver area, and eliminated that overhead control panel. The driver area still needs work.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Nice IC! Here is my design. Sorry it is a bit blurry. It is based on a Freightliner Chassis, and has some HDX aspects to it.
Reply author: Kodie Here is just a front to a concept IC FE. More to come.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Here is another design that I have ben working on for awhile. It looks something like an old Microcirt, but is different in alot of ways. The bus is a handicap bus, but has no lift. The stepwell folds flat and a ramp extends out the bottom for this to be possible. The attendants seat can swivel around to have better view of the students, and there is a mirror system for the driver to see the door better.
Reply author: Kodie I have come up with something new, or what I believe to be new. This is an RE school bus but there is a grille in the front of the bus for the air to flow to the back... how you ask? through a series of ducts. Your comments are appreciated, its out there but I like it. The 3D view is as done as its going to get. Obviously the right side would have seats and the other air intake cover. The front of it is sorta C2ish unfortunately. The 3D and other view are slightly different behind the rear seat, I made them days apart and didnt realize until a minute ago. I must have cut off the end of the bottom image. It is suppose to have radiator on the end, sorry.
Reply author: Jake Kodie, instead of PAINT, i'd recommend you to use this.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Looks pretty nice. Very detailed too, alot better than i can do...
Reply author: bus724 It's a good idea, but you'd need a really good system of air filters to keep those ducts clean. It might be better to try a rear engine with a front radiator, just run coolant lines instead of air ducts. That might also help with better heat and defrosting for the driver.
Reply author: Buskid
quote: To add to that, Crown did utilize the forward radiator/mid-mounted engine combination on some of their buses in the 1940s.
Reply author: Kodie
quote: Thanks Jake, I will give it a try. I wasnt aware Google had that technology.
Reply author: Kodie I added to my design. I was experimenting. More to come.
Reply author: Kodie I was sketching in study hall a few months ago and came up with this. I spilled water on it so it got wrinkled but you get the idea. I messed up the cup holder on the left pretty badly.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Nice! I sketch bus designs all the time, but i wont upload them because they are kind of messy. If I come up with a good idea, then I work on the idea in the computer. I am working on a RE design right now, with a rear exit door. I drew it all out in Spanish, and now I just have to make it in the computer. I should be finished next week.
Reply author: Kodie
quote: Shouldnt you be paying attention? I look forward to seeing yours. I have more somewhere.. I just have to find them.
Reply author: Kodie Ive had this done for awhile and just found it. The angle is messed up but I still think it looks good. Its a Blue Bird IHC.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Love it!! Just got back from my trip, so I should have my bus design finished by Tuesday.
Reply author: Kodie Another I have had done but came across in some files:
Reply author: Kodie This isnt exactly new but I made this one over the past two days. Its suppose to be a 1979 Wayne Loadstar, CA spec. Its not perfect but Im happy with it.
Reply author: Jake
quote: Very nice what program are you using?
Reply author: Kodie Good ole' paint.
Reply author: Kodie I created another. Its a Thomas Vista. I think the hood sticks out a bit too far but overall I am happy with it.
Reply author: Kodie Wow, you're right I left out some mirrors! Oh well.. I'm too lazy to go back and fix it .. I'll fix it eventually.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Great job!!!!! Both of those are very good.
Reply author: mr.dave I want a big "fly swatter" for cars parked in bus loops.
Reply author: IC-RE That Vista is good! It looks like a VA spec'ed bus since it doesnt have the Thomas logos etc. lol
Reply author: Thomas Ford 85-16 These last few pages are great you guys! I don't have time or patience to sit down and do this stuff anymore. I'm really impressed by that Wayne, Kodie, and your design work in Paint is good too. You obviously pay attention to detail.
Reply author: Kodie
quote: Thanks so much for your comments everyone! Thomas-Fod, I looked at a few different Waynes while making it, so it is possible that the wipers are wrong. The lift door and emergency doors were a request made by someone, and I had a picture to go off.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe
quote: Looks great Kodie!!!
Reply author: BlueBirdMan
quote: Okay first of all these drawings are great! I was looking at this design and wondering a few things but first..what direction is the air flow going into the radiator?
Reply author: Kodie I didnt put much thought into the mechanics of it but the air would flow from front to rear, starting from the grille on the front of the bus.
Reply author: BlueBirdMan my thought would be why not eliminate the extra ducts and just have airflow from the sides close to the radiator..just a thought
Reply author: ICrider
quote: Holy crap!Thats a heck of an overhang.................I like it!
Reply author: ICrider My attempt:(mark this,needs a TON of work
Reply author: ICrider This 1 used SketchUp:
Reply author: ICrider
quote: And I really like it.
Reply author: Kodie My most recent paint model. Obviously its a C2. I only did one side, but in three different versions.
Reply author: Rich Wow, great job drawing those C2s! I never was able to perfect Paint that well.
Reply author: ICrider Neither did I,look at the design done by me not using Sketchup,Ill quote it in the next post.
Reply author: ICrider
quote:- That is my first and only Paint attempt,my Google SketchUp version is a lot better.Will quote the 3D Google version next.
Reply author: ICrider
quote:
Reply author: Jake Nice job Kodie! I'll have to post mine someday that Dave and I made. quote: Thank you for quoting that. I obviously didn't see them posted before Kodie posted his...
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Kodie, I am speechless...for several reasons.
Reply author: Kodie Thank you for the compliments :)
Reply author: Kodie And here is one with both sides of the bus, and the rear. I'll tackle the front another day. I'm not too pleased with how the warning light area came out on this bus.
Reply author: ICrider Cool
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Looks really nice Kodie!
Reply author: ICrider Sam,you know me as 09ICCE200,Administrator of Tri-State Transportation RP and driver of bus 10401 on ARROW.
Reply author: Jake
quote: Or short.. icrider.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe
quote: I know, it is just to hard for me to remember everyones name...and be sure I am right. I knew who you were, I just couldnt remember your username or name, so I put the one you use here. That way other people know who I was talking to also. Anyway, got one of the buses uploaded. It is based off of a transit bus. It also has some European styling...as you can tell by the name and the second version! I couldnt get it to upload the other one...I will try again later.
Reply author: ICrider Weird,but a nice design.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe I know it is a bit weird...but if it isn't then it is normal, and then it is just a drawing of a bus, not really a concept, lol.
Reply author: Kodie That's interesting Sam, nice design.
Reply author: Lifestar Fe Thanks Kodie! I know it is a bit odd, but like I said, if it wasnt, then it would be boring...at least to me, lol.
Reply author: Kodie New All American FE. I'll get around to the sides another time. I'm not sure if it's the upload to photobucket, or paint, but a lot of the lines that were visible, are no longer visible.
Reply author: Kodie Been awhile:
Reply author: DadeCountybus This is a Florida spec'd Type C bus, Based on the Blue bird vision.
Reply author: Steven A.Rosenow
quote: How in the hell did I end up missing this?! This is fantastic work. :)
Reply author: Kodie It's been awhile, but here's two more. The vision was finished today, the G5 yesterday.
Reply author: thomasc2 Wow, those look really good.
Reply author: Kodie Thanks! I'm glad someone finally replied! lol
Reply author: Lifestar Fe The reason people don't reply is because the drawings are so good it leaves them speechless!
Reply author: Alex403
quote:Sorry to bump, but can I see this bus?
Reply author: CASTransportation Here's my design based on a Matchbox: School Bus Fleet Magazine Forums : https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/forum/ © 2022 School Bus Fleet Magazine |